


Mindful

by Eponin



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-23
Updated: 2010-01-23
Packaged: 2017-10-06 15:11:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eponin/pseuds/Eponin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Memory is a capricious thing.  Spoilers for The Real World.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mindful

She woke all in one rush, bolting upright. Slipping her feet from the covers, she strode to the windows, flung open the shutters so she could stare out and down.

She watched the spires of the sleeping city, mostly dark this time of night, and sagged against the windowsill. Reassured the city was still here - she was still here - she turned once again to contemplate her bed. The thought of sleeping made her tremble, and she dressed quickly in the dark. She skipped shoes, she wouldn't need them, and left the room in a silent glide of doors.

Moving swiftly, she made her way to the balcony on the easternmost tower, away from the day-to-day activity of Atlantis. There she stood, staring out, smelling the salt of the ocean, listening to the sound of the waves breaking against the walls.

"Elizabeth?"

She turned at the voice. "John."

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Her mouth twisted and she turned back to contemplating the endless deep.

"Still having nightmares, then." He came and stood next to her, resting his arms on the balcony.

"Yes."

"Carson said you would for awhile, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. He said something about trauma and memory. Transference, maybe? I must admit I wasn't listening all that closely."

John smirked. "Carson's good at the technical medical terms that put you to sleep." He grinned over at her. "Rodney didn't help either, I suppose?"

She chortled low, shoulders unknotting. "No, not really."

He stood up from his slouch. "Come on."

Turning to face him, she raised an eyebrow at him.

He held out an arm to her. "We have a chance to get to the coffee before Rodney."

She burst out laughing. "Alright."

She tucked her arm in his, her savior, the voice in her head that hadn't let her give up, then smiled. She peered over her shoulder as they left, one last look out at her real world, and watched as dawn's gray light began to filter across the edge of the ocean.

\+ + +

Later that morning, when she returned to her quarters to clean up and find the shoes she'd forgotten, she found a wooden disc with an intricate carving of Atlantis resting on her desk. Underneath it lay a tiny slip of paper.

_To remind you._

She smiled, feeling something unknot inside, and slipped the disc into her pocket.


End file.
